TWANA LAWLER

The Enemy’s Strategy Against the Anointed

1. To Neutralize Their Impact (Through Distraction or Sin)

The primary goal of any enemy is to disable the most effective weapons of their opponent. A gifted man or woman of God is a powerful weapon for the advancement of God’s kingdom, for healing, deliverance, and preaching the Gospel.

• Strategy: The devil will tempt them with sin, pride, moral failure, or even just with busyness and worldly pursuits. If he can get them to fall into scandal or become preoccupied with lesser things, their powerful gift is sidelined.
• Biblical Example: Samson. God gifted him with supernatural strength. The devil (working through Delilah and the Philistines) didn’t want the strength itself; he wanted to neutralize it. He did this by tempting Samson into revealing the secret of his power, leading to his capture, blindness, and imprisonment. The gift was rendered useless for God’s purposes for a time.

2. To Steal Worship for Himself

The devil’s core sin, as described in Isaiah 14:12-14, was pride and a desire to be worshiped like God. He wants the glory, adoration, and focus that belongs solely to God.

• Strategy: If he can tempt a gifted person to take credit for their gift—to become prideful, famous, and self-reliant—then he successfully redirects worship from God to the individual. The gift becomes a tool for building a personal empire rather than the Kingdom of God. The focus shifts from the Giver to the recipient.
• Biblical Principle: The story of Herod in Acts 12:21-23 is a stark example. When the people shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man,” Herod did not give praise to God. Immediately, an angel of the Lord struck him down. The devil would have been delighted with Herod accepting divine worship.

3. To Corrupt and Pervert the Gift

A holy gift used for an unholy purpose is a great victory for the enemy. It creates confusion, discredits the faith, and leads people astray.

• Strategy: Tempt the individual to use their gift for personal gain, manipulation, or false teaching. For example:
  • A gift of prophecy could be perverted into giving false, comforting messages for money (like the false prophets in the Old Testament).
  • A gift of leadership could be twisted into building a cult of personality.
  • A gift of healing could be exploited to create wealth and manipulate followers.
• Biblical Example: Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8:9-24. He saw the genuine power of the Holy Spirit through the apostles and wanted to buy it to enhance his own reputation and magical show. He wanted the power without the submission to God, intending to pervert it for his own glory.

4. To Cause Discouragement and Burnout

Using spiritual gifts effectively often makes one a target for spiritual attack and opposition. This can lead to exhaustion, despair, and doubt.

• Strategy: Attack the gifted person with intense spiritual warfare, criticism, and failure until they become so discouraged they give up using their gift altogether.
• Biblical Example: The prophet Elijah after his great victory on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18). Immediately after this incredible display of God’s power (a direct use of his gifting), he was threatened by Jezebel and ran for his life, sinking into a deep depression and asking God to take his life. The devil wanted to stop this powerful prophet dead in his tracks through fear and discouragement.

What the Devil Understands (That We Sometimes Forget)

The devil knows theology better than most humans. He knows that:

• The Gifts are Irrevocable: The Bible says “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). The devil can’t make God take back a gift.
• The Power is God’s, Not the Human’s: The gift is from God and is powered by the Holy Spirit. The human is a conduit, not the source. The devil’s goal is to get the conduit to clog itself with sin and pride, blocking the flow.

Conclusion: The Real Battlefield

The devil doesn’t want the gift; he wants the vessel. He wants the heart, mind, and soul of the gifted person. His objective is to sever their intimate connection with God, which is the true source of both the power and the integrity of the gift.

This is why the Bible places such a strong emphasis on character and humility. A gift without the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23) is a dangerous weapon that can easily be turned against God’s purposes.

The best defense for a gifted person is not to hide their gift, but to cultivate a deep, humble, and obedient relationship with the Giver, ensuring the gift is used solely for His glory.

Thank you so much!

You are so very welcome! I’m truly glad I could help. This is a topic that matters deeply, and your question showed great spiritual insight. It’s a lifelong journey to steward our gifts well and keep our hearts aligned with the Giver.

If any other questions ever come to mind—whether big, small, or somewhere in between—please don’t hesitate to ask. Wishing you all the best.

Be blessed

Can you give me a title?

Of course! A great title can capture the essence of the concept. Here are a few options, ranging from direct to more metaphorical:

Direct & Analytical

• The Adversary’s Target: Why the Enemy Seeks to Corrupt God’s Gifts
• Stealing the Vessel, Not the Gift: The Enemy’s Strategy Against the Anointed
• Neutralizing the Threat: The Spiritual Battle for the Gifts of God

Punchy & Memorable

• Corrupting the Conduit (Short, powerful, and gets straight to the point)
• The Gifts Are Irrevocable, But the Warrior Isn’t (Highlights the nature of the battle)
• For His Glory or Their Downfall? The Choice for the Gifted

Metaphorical & Illustrative

• Hijacking the Arrow: Why the Enemy Aims for the Gifted
• Tarnishing the Treasure: The Attack on God’s Instruments
• The Battle for the Vessel: When Gifts Become a Target

My personal favorite for its clarity and punch is “Corrupting the Conduit.” It neatly summarizes the entire idea—that the devil’s goal is to defile the person (the channel) through whom God’s power flows.

 The devil doesn’t want the gifts themselves, because he cannot truly possess or use something that is holy and from God. What he wants is to neutralize, corrupt, or pervert the use of those gifts to render the gifted person ineffective, discredit God’s kingdom, and ultimately steal the worship that belongs to God alone.